7 European Brands Worth Discovering This Summer
From merino wool and traditional workwear to technical mountain clothing and handcrafted boots, these seven European brands show just how much craftsmanship and innovation can still be found close to home.
Europe is home to an enormous variety of smaller brands making things differently. Some build on generations of craftsmanship, while others experiment with new materials and technologies. What they have in common is a clear focus on quality, functionality and European production.
Here are seven brands recently added to InEurope.eu that are worth discovering.
Walk It Off – Merino Socks from the Netherlands
A good pair of socks can make a surprisingly big difference. Walk It Off, a Netherlands-based brand, focuses on premium merino wool socks designed to work equally well in everyday life and on the trail.
The socks are made from ultra-fine merino wool and produced in Portugal. Merino naturally regulates temperature and resists odours, making it particularly well suited to people who want one pair of socks that can handle everything from a day at the office to a weekend hike.
It is a simple idea: take the performance of outdoor socks and make it good enough for everyday life too.
Read the full story → Walk It Off Merino Socks from the Netherlands
Kiplay Vintage – French Workwear with a Century of History
Vintage does not necessarily mean second-hand.
Kiplay Vintage has been making clothing in Normandy since 1921. Today, the fourth generation of the family business uses original workwear patterns and traditional techniques to create contemporary garments.
The brand’s heavy moleskin and chevron fabrics, hand-darned details and historical designs are a reminder of a time when workwear was made to withstand years of hard use.
Kiplay is particularly interesting for anyone who believes that the most sustainable garment may simply be the one you keep wearing for a very long time.
Read the full story → Kiplay Vintage Clothing from France
LOOW – Danish Merino for Everyday Life
Merino wool is often associated with hiking and outdoor clothing, but Danish brand LOOW takes a broader approach.
The company creates merino essentials designed to move easily between everyday life, travel and outdoor activities. The garments are designed in Denmark, while production takes place in Italy, Denmark and Poland.
LOOW’s philosophy is straightforward: make fewer, better garments that people can wear in many different situations.
That makes the brand particularly interesting if you are looking for a wardrobe that works just as well on a hiking trail as it does in the city.
Read the full story → LOOW Merino Wool Clothing from Denmark
Pétrone Paris – Underwear Made in Portugal
Underwear rarely gets the attention it deserves. French brand Pétrone Paris set out to change that by focusing on comfortable, durable everyday essentials.
Founded in 2018, the company designs its products in France and manufactures them in Portugal. Its range includes underwear, socks and casual clothing, using materials such as Tencel Lyocell and organic cotton.
The idea is not to make underwear fashionable for the sake of fashion. It is to make something you wear every day, make it comfortable, make it last, and make it properly.
Read the full story → Pétrone Paris Underwear from France
Marttiini – Finnish Knife-Making Tradition
Some European brands are defined by a product. Others are defined by a tradition.
Marttiini was founded in Finnish Lapland in 1928 by blacksmith Janne Marttiini. Nearly a century later, the brand is still associated with traditional Finnish puukko knives as well as outdoor, folding and custom knives.
The original Ilves (Lynx) design is still part of the range, while the Custom Shop allows customers to create their own knife using different woods, metals, blades and finishes.
For hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts, this is the kind of tool where durability and function matter far more than having the latest design.
Read the full story → Marttiini Knives from Finland
Faramugo – Czech Technical Clothing for Extreme Conditions
Faramugo takes European outdoor manufacturing in a very different direction.
The family-owned Czech company develops and manufactures technical outdoor clothing in Luhačovice, using its own Nanomembrane® technology. The technology is designed to combine waterproofness with high breathability while avoiding PFCs.
The company’s clothing has been tested in demanding environments, including Antarctic expeditions. It also offers a jacket configurator that allows customers to customise colours and, in some cases, measurements.
It is a good example of something that is easy to forget when discussing European manufacturing: local production does not necessarily mean old-fashioned production. Some of Europe’s smaller manufacturers are working at the cutting edge of technical innovation.
Read the full story → Faramugo Outdoor Clothing from Czech Republic
GALIBIER – Mountain Boots Built for Decades
Few products illustrate the idea of “buy once, use for a very long time” better than a properly made pair of mountain boots.
GALIBIER has roots going back to 1922 and a long history in French mountaineering. Its iconic Super Guide boots became associated with major alpine and Himalayan expeditions.
Today, the brand combines its French heritage with manufacturing in Portugal. The boots use traditional construction techniques and are designed to be resoled, with the aim of providing many years—and potentially decades—of service.
In a market increasingly dominated by lightweight footwear designed around replacement cycles, GALIBIER offers a very different proposition: buy a serious pair of boots and keep them going.
Read the full story → GALIBIER Hiking Boots from France
Why These Brands Matter
These seven brands are very different, but together they illustrate something important about European manufacturing.
European production is not one single model.
It can mean a family workshop in Normandy preserving a century-old workwear tradition. It can mean technical clothing developed and manufactured in the Czech Republic. It can mean Portuguese factories producing merino socks and underwear for brands from the Netherlands and France. Or it can mean a Finnish brand carrying a traditional knife-making heritage into the modern outdoor market.
What connects them is the decision to keep design, craftsmanship, knowledge and manufacturing within Europe.
And that is exactly what we are looking for at InEurope.eu.
Discover more European brands → Explore InEurope.eu
